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“I guess I can’t be How do you prove a negative?”

“I knoay that maybe you can,” Monica said The look on her face made Holden think whatever she was about to say next was the entire reason for their conversation It felt a little like watching a hunting cat track a steak “Fred Johnson still has whatsample of the protomolecule The one you took off the secret Mao-Kski ship”

“The one I… Hey, how do you know that?” Holden said “And how many other people know that?”

“I don’t disclose sources, but I think we should get it and see if we can wake it up Get your ghost Miller to coates to destroy our ships”

Half a dozen responses crashed together in Holden’sfrom That is the worst idea I’ve ever heard to Are you even listening to what you’re saying? It took a few seconds for one to win out

“You want me to do a séance?”

“I wouldn’t call it a —”

“No,” Holden said “Just no”

“I can’t just let this drop If you won’t help —”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t help I said I’oo in hopes that it starts telling me its old cop stories We don’t want to poke that stuff We should leave it alone”

Monica’s expression was open and interested He wouldn’t have been able to see her annoyance and disappointment if he hadn’t known to look

“What then?” she asked

“You know the old joke about hearing hoofbeats, right?”

“I guess I don’t”

“Long story, but the point is that if you hear hoofbeats in the distance, your first guess is that they’re horses, not zebras And you’re hearing hoofbeats and juht to unicorns”